Southeastern Channel Wins ADDY Award

A pair of Southeastern Louisiana University students working at the Southeastern Channel, the university's educational access channel, recently had video they shot appear on ABC's "Good Morning America"

Students Nick Elliot of Mandeville and Daron Short of Hammond both shot footage of the jersey retirement ceremony for GMA host and former Lady Lions basketball star Robin Roberts held earlier this month. The footage aired in a special segment about Roberts on GMA, the second highest-rated morning show in television.

The students videotaped Roberts and her two sisters, including WWL-TV anchor Sally-Ann Roberts, leading the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday to their mother, Lucy Marion, who turned 87 on the day of the jersey retirement ceremony.

They also recorded scenes of Roberts' high school team, the Pass Christian, Miss., Lady Pirates, who attended the event and interacted with the former Southeastern hardwood standout.

"Daron Short and Nick Elliot shot beautiful footage of Robin Roberts during her jersey retirement ceremony, said Sharde Miller, the GMA producer who produced the segment on Roberts. "Viewers were really able to capture the happy mood when we saw everyone sing happy birthday to Robin's mother. The footage made our piece sing!

As student videographers/editors, Elliott and Short have both worked on a variety of award-winning Southeastern Channel programs. At last year's Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards given by the Society of Professional Journalists, Elliott won first place in both Television News Photography and Television Feature Photography, beating out student videographers from all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. Short won third place in Television Sports Photography against the same competition.